So Your Sister's a Unicorn

John Shore gave poly-friendly response to a letter he got. One of the places you can find it is  huffingtonpost.com. Click through his links to his other writings. They are worth a read, especially if you identify as Christian or otherwise deal with people who are anti-equality who do identify as Christian. As I've said before, you can find allies (and people who want equality but are denied) in just about every religion, in Atheist circles... everywhere. And, unfortunately, you can find prejudice just about everywhere, too, although obviously Atheists will not invoke some religion-based dictate in opposition to equality.From the concerned letter-writer...Here's the situation: My sister has come to me and told me that she has decided...

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Posted in: allies,bisexual,boundaries,coming out,family reaction,LGBT,love,polyamory,prejudice,same-sex,triads

Governor Snyder Goes Eastside for Michigan Supreme Court

Judge David VivianoFor the first time since Justice Neil Reid retired from our High Court in the mid-1950s, a jurist from Macomb County will be seated on the Michigan Supreme Court.  Yesterday, Governor Rick Snyder announced his decision to replace disgraced former Justice Diane Hathaway with Macomb County Circuit's Chief Judge, David Viviano.Although he comes from a family of jurists, [his father, Antonio Viviano, was a long-serving probate, then circuit court judge, and his sister, Kathryn Viviano, is a sitting judge in the Macomb Circuit Court's family division] David has practiced in several challenging areas of the law and has been outstanding.  In addition to working at the Dickinson Wright law firm in Detroit, he also worked...

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Posted in: Governor Rick Snyder,Judge David Viviano,Justice Brian Zahra,Justice Neil Reid,Macomb County Circuit Court,Michigan Supreme Court,Oakland County Circuit Court

Change to Comment Settings and Policy

As always, comments are welcome at this blog, and you can comment anonymously if you'd like, or identify yourself or link (no spam, please) to blog, profile, etc.Per reader request, I have removed word verification, which some people find annoying.Since I have removed word verification, I will now need to prevent spam by requiring that comments be approved before they appear. this means your comment may not appear for several hours. Feedback is welcome, including disagreement. I only delete/reject/mark as spam: spam, vulgar or hateful attacks, repeated spouting of bigotry from the same person that does not add to the discussion, and the like. I will not reject comments based on disagreement, but if you don't think consenting adults should be free to love each other, then I do not consent to...

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I Added a New Page

I've added a new page. You can see the pages as tabs up there at the top of the blog. I decided I needed a "Welcome" page in addition to the "About" bl...

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I Added a New Page

I've added a new page. You can see the pages as tabs up there at the top of the blog. I decided I needed a "Welcome" page in addition to the "About" bl...

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Old Article on Possible GSA Criminal Case

I recently followed a link (can't remember who provided the link... bad blogger, bad blogger) to a news article from way back in the previous millennium (1999) of interest to this blog. It is by Scott Winokur and Tyche Hendricks at sfgate.com and reports from Antioch, California.An Antioch woman and her 23-year-old son allegedly had an openly sexual relationship that produced a child and another pregnancy and have been charged with incest under a law that could put them in state prison for up to three years.Three years in prison for having consensual sex with another adult?Robert Kochly, assistant chief district attorney in Contra Costa County, said Saturday the woman, who is 43, and her son not only haven't denied their alleged ...

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Posted in: boundaries,breaking up homes,California,children,consanguineous,courts,family reaction,GSA,incest,lack of equality harms,love,media,mother-son,pregnancy,prosecution,reunion

Old Article on Possible GSA Criminal Case

I recently followed a link (can't remember who provided the link... bad blogger, bad blogger) to a news article from way back in the previous millennium (1999) of interest to this blog. It is by Scott Winokur and Tyche Hendricks at sfgate.com and reports from Antioch, California.An Antioch woman and her 23-year-old son allegedly had an openly sexual relationship that produced a child and another pregnancy and have been charged with incest under a law that could put them in state prison for up to three years.Three years in prison for having consensual sex with another adult?Robert Kochly, assistant chief district attorney in Contra Costa County, said Saturday the woman, who is 43, and her son not only haven't denied their alleged ...

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Posted in: boundaries,breaking up homes,California,children,consanguineous,courts,family reaction,GSA,incest,lack of equality harms,love,media,mother-son,pregnancy,prosecution,reunion

Video: Another Discussion of the Polygamous Freedom to Marry

These guys can't come up with a good reason to deny the polygamous freedom to marry. That's because there isn't one. More and more people are thinking it through and realizing that full marriage equality makes sense, and that the response to bigots who try to scare people about slippery slopes when it comes to the same-gender freedom to marry should be "What's wrong with letting consenting adults have their right to marry?"Note that one of them brings up legal sanctions against adultery. I'm not aware of any place in the US where there remain any enforceable criminal laws against adultery, perhaps defined in some ridiculous laws as having sex with someone other than your lawfully wedded spouse (which criminalizes threesomes, polyamory, open marriages, etc.) Nor is adultery considered by the...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,cheating,freedom to marry,media,polyamory,polygamy

Video: Another Discussion of the Polygamous Freedom to Marry

These guys can't come up with a good reason to deny the polygamous freedom to marry. That's because there isn't one. More and more people are thinking it through and realizing that full marriage equality makes sense, and that the response to bigots who try to scare people about slippery slopes when it comes to the same-gender freedom to marry should be "What's wrong with letting consenting adults have their right to marry?"Note that one of them brings up legal sanctions against adultery. I'm not aware of any place in the US where there remain any enforceable criminal laws against adultery, perhaps defined in some ridiculous laws as having sex with someone other than your lawfully wedded spouse (which criminalizes threesomes, polyamory, open marriages, etc.) Nor is adultery considered by the...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,cheating,freedom to marry,media,polyamory,polygamy

Column at Major Newspaper Calls For Polygamous Freedom to Marry

Many thanks to Peg McEntee at sltrib.com for speaking up for the polygamous freedom to marry, which is essential in order to reach full marriage equality.And, as a strong believer in the right of same-sex couples to marry, it came to me that willing adults who enter into plural marriage should have the same rights.Having covered polygamy in Utah for more than two decades, I’m acutely aware of the abuse that can and has occurred in polygamous enclaves.Of course, that abuse is not isolated to polygamous communities, nor is it caused by polygamy. Removing laws and stigmas against consensual adult relationships will make it easier to prosecute abusers, because witnesses and victims will be more willing to work with law enforcement.My support for...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,FLDS,freedom to marry,law,media,polyamory,polygamy,Utah

Column at Major Newspaper Calls For Polygamous Freedom to Marry

Many thanks to Peg McEntee at sltrib.com for speaking up for the polygamous freedom to marry, which is essential in order to reach full marriage equality.And, as a strong believer in the right of same-sex couples to marry, it came to me that willing adults who enter into plural marriage should have the same rights.Having covered polygamy in Utah for more than two decades, I’m acutely aware of the abuse that can and has occurred in polygamous enclaves.Of course, that abuse is not isolated to polygamous communities, nor is it caused by polygamy. Removing laws and stigmas against consensual adult relationships will make it easier to prosecute abusers, because witnesses and victims will be more willing to work with law enforcement.My support for...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,FLDS,freedom to marry,law,media,polyamory,polygamy,Utah

A Young Adult Love in Hiding

By my count, this is the nineteenth ongoing relationship I've covered through exclusive interviews in which the lovers are denied the freedom to marry."Anonymous" is a young woman who has a consanguinamorous relationship with her brother, who is two years older.Read this interview and ask yourself if there is one good reason their rights to love each other the way they want should be denied.*****FULL MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Describe your background.Anonymous: I'm a female college student living in the southern US. I'm a single college student with one brother, with whom I'm involved. I live with a female roommate.FME: Describe your childhood and relationship with your brother prior to the relationship you have now. We were always close, and most...

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Posted in: boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,love,siblings

A Young Adult Love in Hiding

By my count, this is the nineteenth ongoing relationship I've covered through exclusive interviews in which the lovers are denied the freedom to marry."Anonymous" is a young woman who has a consanguinamorous relationship with her brother, who is two years older.Read this interview and ask yourself if there is one good reason their rights to love each other the way they want should be denied.*****FULL MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Describe your background.Anonymous: I'm a female college student living in the southern US. I'm a single college student with one brother, with whom I'm involved. I live with a female roommate.FME: Describe your childhood and relationship with your brother prior to the relationship you have now. We were always close, and most...

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Posted in: boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,love,siblings

We Get Letters

Well, comments really. Here are some recent comments of note.In response to something I posted about half-siblings defying bigotry, Anonymous wrote...oh my.. i have a enormous amount of sympathy.. i know someone in the same boat, only he's the older and shes younger. Problem is the same. Everyone thinks he's a screw up because he hasn't had a girlfriend for so long and how hes getting older... lol well it would appear that way from the outside. Poor guy has been tormented for years about "he's gonna die a virgin" and "he must be pathetic in bed" etc etc.. nothing could be more incorrect. They've been together for YEARS, and she's told me their life behind closed doors is amazing, and when they are together they are truly an amazing couple....

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,brother-sister,coming out,consanguineous,family reaction,freedom to marry,GSA,lack of equality harms,love,prejudice,siblings

We Get Letters

Well, comments really. Here are some recent comments of note.In response to something I posted about half-siblings defying bigotry, Anonymous wrote...oh my.. i have a enormous amount of sympathy.. i know someone in the same boat, only he's the older and shes younger. Problem is the same. Everyone thinks he's a screw up because he hasn't had a girlfriend for so long and how hes getting older... lol well it would appear that way from the outside. Poor guy has been tormented for years about "he's gonna die a virgin" and "he must be pathetic in bed" etc etc.. nothing could be more incorrect. They've been together for YEARS, and she's told me their life behind closed doors is amazing, and when they are together they are truly an amazing couple....

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,brother-sister,coming out,consanguineous,family reaction,freedom to marry,GSA,lack of equality harms,love,prejudice,siblings

LGBT Plus P?

I'm bumping up this entry because of this article: "Therapists Argue To Replace 'LGBT' With More Inclusive 'GSD'" at queerty.com. GSD means Gender and Sexual Diversities. I like it. I will think about it some more. Reminded me of this...Over at Freethinking For Dummies is this article about poly being the “new queer.”Polyamory is much more than having multiple sex partners. Yes, the sex part is important, but not nearly as important as the emotional aspect. To an outsider, polyamory is often seen as an expedient to justifying having multiple sex partners, in the same way they consider bi-sexuality to be. Of course, as those who are bi-sexual can tell you, this isn’t an expedient, it truly a way of being. Being polyamorous is what we feel, it defines how we are attracted romantically, sexually...

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Posted in: allies,help,LGBT,polyamory

LGBT Plus P?

I'm bumping up this entry because of this article: "Therapists Argue To Replace 'LGBT' With More Inclusive 'GSD'" at queerty.com. GSD means Gender and Sexual Diversities. I like it. I will think about it some more. Reminded me of this...Over at Freethinking For Dummies is this article about poly being the “new queer.”Polyamory is much more than having multiple sex partners. Yes, the sex part is important, but not nearly as important as the emotional aspect. To an outsider, polyamory is often seen as an expedient to justifying having multiple sex partners, in the same way they consider bi-sexuality to be. Of course, as those who are bi-sexual can tell you, this isn’t an expedient, it truly a way of being. Being polyamorous is what we feel, it defines how we are attracted romantically, sexually...

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Posted in: allies,help,LGBT,polyamory

Adultery and the Paternity Act

The Sixth Commandment proscribes adultery unequivocally: "Thou shall not commit adultery".  Many people consider the Ten Commandments to be the laws of God.  The subsequent laws of man, however, do not always follow suit.In 2011, the Michigan Legislature amended [rewrote] the Paternity Act to open the door, slightly, for an unwed biological father who sires a child with a married woman.  The bachelor's parenting rights, however, are contingent upon the consent of the mother.   The new paternity laws have given rise to a few cases that have garnered media attention.  Fathers that have availed themselves of the new law in order to correct one of the more painful gaps in our...

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Posted in: Aaron Grimes,adultery,child custody,Daniel Quinn,family court,family law lawyer,paternity act,Ten Commandments,Wayne County Family Court

What About the Children?

Abdullah asked a very common question…How likely is it that brother-sister incest will produce a healthy child?Taking the question exactly as it is written, a very small percentage of sexual encounters result in a live birth. Only sexual encounters that result in a healthy sperm entering a healthy egg and fertilizing it, followed by successful implantation in the uterus, followed by gestation until viability will produce a healthy child. (This is leaving aside reproductive technologies, donors, and surrogates.)But I suspect that the question the person was really asking is that if a brother and sister have a pregnancy that comes to term and is successfully delivered, what are the chances of the child being healthy?Most likely, with any given brother and sister, the child will be healthy. With...

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Posted in: brother-sister,children,consanguineous,incest,myths,pregnancy,siblings

Encouraging President Obama and the Supreme Court

According to this Associated Press article by Julie Pace…The Obama administration is quietly considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage, a step that would mark a political victory for advocates of same-sex unions and a deepening commitment by President Barack Obama to rights for gay couples.More and more US states are adopting the limited same-gender freedom to marry. Many others have domestic partnerships or civil unions. In the two neighboring countries, Canada has had the limited same-gender freedom to marry and Mexico is moving towards it nationwide. The US, as a country, is playing catch-up. How embarrassing.I urge President Obama and the Court to boldly, strongly put the US in a leadership role and...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,courts,DOMA,ENDA,freedom to marry,lack of equality harms,law,marriage equality,Proposition 8,USA

Encouraging President Obama and the Supreme Court

According to this Associated Press article by Julie Pace…The Obama administration is quietly considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage, a step that would mark a political victory for advocates of same-sex unions and a deepening commitment by President Barack Obama to rights for gay couples.More and more US states are adopting the limited same-gender freedom to marry. Many others have domestic partnerships or civil unions. In the two neighboring countries, Canada has had the limited same-gender freedom to marry and Mexico is moving towards it nationwide. The US, as a country, is playing catch-up. How embarrassing.I urge President Obama and the Court to boldly, strongly put the US in a leadership role and...

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,courts,DOMA,ENDA,freedom to marry,lack of equality harms,law,marriage equality,Proposition 8,USA

Do Teen-Aged Murderers Deserve a Second Chance?

Barbara HernandezBarbara Hernandez was convicted in 1991 of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison; she was sixteen years old.  The facts adduced at her trial were that she coaxed her victim, a 28-year old auto mechanic, into a vacant crack-house in Pontiac where her boyfriend, or pimp, depending on who you believe, stabbed him 25-times.  The motive: robbery to obtain funds to fuel said boy friend's raging crack habit. Sympathy rating on scale of one to five; zero.More than 20-years after her capital conviction, views on the Hernandez case remain polarizing.  For example, in an AP article detailing the murder, the prosecutor that tried Hernandez here in he Oakland County Circuit Court recently...

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Posted in: Barbara Hernandez,Donna Pendergast,Judge Michael Talbot,juvenile lifer law,Michigan Attorney General,Michigan Court of Appeals,Oakland County Prosecutor,SCOTUS